A 5G home router developed by Samsung Electronics has been granted approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), boosting Verizon’s prospects of launching a commercial 5G fixed-wireless service before the end of 2018. A Samsung spokesperson informed Telecompetitor that the FCC authorisation means that Samsung presides over the first 5G mmWave end-to-end solution to secure US government regulatory approval. The MIMO device will utilise millimetre wave (mmWave) spectrum in the 27.5GHz-28.35GHz band, the FCC filing clarifies.
While the development has not formally been confirmed by Verizon itself, the Samsung spokesperson asserted that the newly approved equipment will be used in Sacramento – Verizon’s previously announced fixed 5G launch market. In early 2017, Samsung and Verizon began 5G customer trials across seven US cities, and successfully tested FWA pre-commercial services using mmWave frequencies. These trials were conducted in California, Georgia, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Michigan, Texas, and Washington DC.